count time for each clip in library separately from 0:00

Is it possible that these clips each have had these starting timecodes set in the camera?

I have experimented with several clips, and FCP seems to always honor the timecode of the clips.

Try importing a clip that you know starts at zero, and compare.

Or, for another test, make a small project, change its starting timecode to, say, 15 seconds and 10 frames, export to Quicktime, and import that back. You should see that in the browser, FCP will show the clip starting at that time code.

The way the timecode is recorded is a function of the camera. There might be a setting you can use in the future to have zero timecode start. Perhaps your client can use the clip timecode. Maybe applications like QuickTime will show clip timecode as well as zero start.

What camera shot this? How did you import it into FCP exactly?

Where are you seeing this? In the Browser? Or the timeline?

I have an effect that reports the Clip Length TC (in its own frame rate — not conformed — it's *edited* length in the storyline). Could you use something like that?

Put the playhead at the beginning of the clip. Press Control-P for playhead. Type +1200 to move the playhead forward 12 seconds. (You can also type 12. for 12 seconds.) You can dial in any number from the start of the clip to take you to the location of the client notes.

This happens to me when some clients hand me footage rather than me filming it myself. Is the first clip 17 seconds long? And the second clip 14 Secs long? If so the camera may have been set to start-stop TC where the TC only runs when the camera is rolling. Try setting it to freerun TC, where the TC runs continuously, usually even when the camera is off.